When is it too late to change obstetricians?

I certainly understand why you're worried! As a family practitioner, I would certainly consult an obstetrician if I had a patient with a potential placental abruption, as they have much more experience managing patients with this problem than I have.

Placental abruption is a condition in which the placenta separates from the uterus prematurely. Bleeding is the main sign of placental abruption, and it varies depending on the severity of the separation. Other signs include cramping and uterine tenderness, which again vary with the severity of the abruption.)

I'm very sorry to see that you have lost faith in your doctor, but hopefully he or she has a colleague you can switch to. It's not too late to change, and you are the one who "calls the shots." The hardest thing for a provider is for a new patient to show up ten days before delivery with no records. Since I assume that this is not the case with you, it would be awkward to change providers but not a risk to your healthcare.

As for your bleeding, at the beginning of labor, the cervix begins to dilate. Though normal, this can cause bleeding and it may seem like a lot of blood to both the patient and the provider! If the amount of blood seems high, the next step is to do an ultrasound.

Unfortunately, this isn't a perfect test, which means that it can be wrong about whether there is or is not an abruption. I myself am not good enough with the ultrasound machine to comment on your doctor's interpretation. I'm assuming he did some fetal monitoring and saw that the baby's heart rate and heart tracing looked reassuring. In that case, it would be appropriate to watch and wait for labor to begin. The amount of blood that you describe seems like a lot, I know, but it really isn't, provided that the baby is okay.

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